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Student With Camera

Photography Major

Course Sequence | Photography Minor

The photography major enables student to develop a critical understanding of how photographic practices shape and reflect our world. It considers the photograph as both a commodity of contemporary culture as well as its distinctive place as an artistic medium and recognizes its vast impact on culture.

Students learn to produce photographic images while thinking critically about visual culture. Students consider the ethics of image capturing and manipulation, and explore image archives to glean the history of contributions to photography, storytelling, and history.

Off-campus photography exhibitions in museums, galleries and site-specific venues and on-campus guest lectures by distinguished photographers contribute to students’ engagement with the field.

Visual Storytellers

Once you become comfortable with the equipment, techniques and elements of the craft, you will explore various genres of photography. You will also be challenged to
use the camera to create personally driven documentary and fictive narratives. Beyond creating your own imagery, you will research the extensive history of photography
in order to learn and articulate how images
gain their strength and power. By learning of
the history of photography (artistic, advertising, cultural and vernacular imagery) and image dissemination, you will engage in contextualization of the social and cultural impact of images.

Connections and Collaborations

The medium of photography intersects with many other programs on campus because it examines  history, politics, culture and society as it documents the times in which we live. Opportunities for interdisciplinary activity both in the arts (sculpture/installation performance, video and film) as well as creative writing, social justice, psychology, philosophy, education and computer science, are rich with possibilities. Collaborations will be driven by you conceptual interests, which will be guided by faculty in these areas of study. 

Photography Major - 48 Credits


Foundational Courses 

Students are introduced to Design Thinking Materials and Software.
10 Credits = 21%

AVC 122 Digital 2D Foundations   
                                     
AVC 115 Photographic Visions     

AVC 210 Creative Lighting for Photographers                     
 3 Credits

 4 Credits

 3 Credits       

Practice 

Where Students Learn to Make 


 17 Credits

AVC 212 Documentary Photography   
                                 
AVC 222 Creative Fictions: Photography
and the Imagined 

AVC 280 Innovation, Technology and Art                                 

AVC 323 The Art of Photography Production                        

AVC 342 Topics in Studio Art: Black
Feminist Thought           
 4 Credits

 4 Credits


 3 Credits


 2 Credits


 4 Credits

Theory and Thinking 

Students learn about art movements and consider the past  
10 Credits

AVC 142 Ways of Seeing II:
Medieval to Modern                      

AVC 272 History of Photography                                             

AVC 315 Contemporary Art Making Strategies                         

 

 3 Credits


 4 Credits


 3 Credits

Personal Practice and Career Building

Students prepare for a real-world usage of skills
11 Credits 



AVC 390 Art Process and Practice                                              

AVC 442 Internship                                                                     

AVC 492 Portfolio Criticism I                                                      

AVC 492A Portfolio Criticism II                                                      

SAVC 104 Arts Division Seminar - Freshman  
(both semesters)                                                                         

SAVC 204 Arts Division Seminar – Sophomore
(both semesters)

 3 Credits


 3 Credits


 3 Credits


 3 Credits 



 0 Credits


0 Credits

For More Information

Please contact Professor Nydia Boyd at nydia.boyd@spelman.edu
For more information
please contact
Professor Nydia Boyd at nydia.boyd@spelman.edu
For more information
please contact
Professor Nydia Boyd at nydia.boyd@spelman.edu